I Became an Illegal Cheat User – Chapter 58

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Before heading to the practice field, Kang Cheol-su gave the students an explanation about villains.

“Villains have evil tendencies, as their name suggests.”

“But unlike Fallen who must be exterminated, villains should be attacked if discovered, but not killed.”

“Does anyone know why that is?”

At Kang Cheol-su’s question, one intelligent-looking student raised their hand and answered.

“It’s because they can be reformed.”

“Yes, that’s a correct answer too. But that’s not the answer I’m looking for.”

At those words, the student who had answered lowered their hand with a dejected face.

“Is there no one else who can answer my question?”

……

Silence.

No one raised their hand.

Kang Cheol-su made a “Hmm” sound and looked at the students.

The students avoided his gaze whenever their eyes met, Yu-jin sighed at the sight of his classmates.

‘Well, to hero aspirants, villains are no different from Fallen.’

Honestly, villains may not have fallen, but they commit all sorts of evil acts like murder, assault, extortion, etc.

So even if his classmates knew the answer to Kang Cheol-su’s question, they were reluctant to say it out loud.

Because the moment they voiced the answer in their heads, it would be like acknowledging it, but his classmates needed to know.

That villains were beings like them as well, and that heroes weren’t always righteous.

That heroes could even be more wicked than villains.

Feeling bitter about this cold reality, Yu-jin raised his hand on behalf of his classmates and said.

“It’s because they also belong to the category of human beings.”

At Yu-jin’s answer, Kang Cheol-su nodded as if he had finally heard the answer he wanted.

“That’s right. As Yu-jin said, villains are also ‘humans’ like us, so unconditional killing is prohibited.”

When Kang Cheol-su said this, one student raised their hand with a face that showed they didn’t understand and asked,

“Then does that mean we can’t do anything even if villains run rampant?”

“No. Only ‘unconditional killing’ is prohibited, but the use of force is possible. No, rather, the use of force is recommended as soon as you encounter a villain.”

“What if a villain hurts people or commits acts like terrorism?”

“Then you must kill them unconditionally.”

At these cold words saying not that it was okay, but that they must kill, the student who had asked the question lowered their hand in surprise.

Regardless, Kang Cheol-su continued to explain why they should kill.

“No matter how much they can be reformed and belong to the category of ‘human’, hurting people or committing acts like terrorism is no different from giving up on being ‘human’.”

Then one student raised their hand, but when they tried to say what they had been thinking, they hesitated and stammered.

Seeing this, Kang Cheol-su nodded as if to say it was okay to speak.

Only then did words flow from the student’s mouth.

“Instructor, what if the villain had no choice but to do that? For example, if the person killed by the villain had actually hurt the villain’s family…”

“Yes, that could be the case, as you said.”

But, Kang Cheol-su added, looking not only at the student who asked the question, but at all the other students as well.

“We are heroes. Whether a villain is born that way or became one later, whatever their reasons, if they hurt people, we must punish them regardless of the reason.”

“They didn’t want to become a villain, but had no choice? Yes, that’s unfortunate.”

“Still, we have a duty as heroes to protect people, and that duty must be fulfilled unconditionally.”

“So remember this well. A hero’s honor is earned by shouldering duty.”

The atmosphere in the classroom became solemn at Kang Cheol-su’s weighty advice.

Especially the student who had asked if villains might have circumstances, seemed to have realized something from the instructor’s advice and was staring at the instructor with a blank face.

Looking around at the students like this, Kang Cheol-su clapped his hands at the alarm ringing on his smartwatch and said,

Clap clap.

“Alright, everyone stop looking so solemn now and get ready to move to the practice field.”

At those words, the students all stood up from their seats.

And just as everyone was packing their things.

“Um, In-Instructor. I, I have a qu-question.”

Park Ga-ram, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly raised her hand and asked a question.

“Oh? Oh, okay. Park Ga-ram, what do you want to know?”

Park Ga-ram, hadn’t asked questions, let alone shown interest in class since entering school.

When Park Ga-ram suddenly asked a question, Kang Cheol-su was momentarily flustered but soon allowed her question with a pleased heart.

“Ea-earlier, you sa-said that if a vi-villain commits acts li-like terrorism, they mu-must be killed un-unconditionally, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Th-then why wa-wasn’t my ma-master killed?”

“Master? Ah… you mean the Gray Witch Circe?”

“Ye-yes.”

Park Ga-ram’s master and a former villain who was reformed into a hero by the Martial God.

The transcendent known as the Gray Witch, Circe.

As the topic of Circe came up, the students who had been packing to move to the practice field all stopped and looked at Kang Cheol-su with intrigued faces.

At this, Kang Cheol-su looked at Park Ga-ram with a somewhat incredulous face and said,

“…Isn’t it a bit much for a disciple to ask why their master wasn’t killed?”

“Is, is that so? I was ju-just curious…”

Park Ga-ram scratched her head with a “Hehe…” and an eerie laugh.

Then Kang Cheol-su let out a short sigh and answered her question.

“As I said earlier, villains can be reformed, and the condition for reformation is not committing ‘murder’.”

Then Park Ga-ram asked with a puzzled face.

“But my ma-master turned all of the pe-people in a city in-into animals, didn’t she?”

“Yes, as you said, that was terrorism. Terrorism severe enough that she would have no right to complain if heroes killed her.”

“Th-then how…?”

“How did she reform without being killed, you mean?”

Park Ga-ram nodded.

Looking at Park Ga-ram, Kang Cheol-su said,

“Because not a single person died.”

“Eh?”

At Kang Cheol-su’s words, Park Ga-ram’s eyes widened in surprise, and the same was true for the other students.

“Ho-how?”

Park Ga-ram asked as if she couldn’t understand.

An entire city’s population had been transformed into animals, both herbivores and carnivores indiscriminately.

Then carnivores could have killed herbivores, but not a single person died?

How was that possible?

“…Park Ga-ram, Circe-nim’s disciple is you, not me.”

Kang Cheol-su scratched the scar on his forehead as if troubled.

At Kang Cheol-su’s words implying that he wanted to ask her instead, Park Ga-ram fidgeted with her fingers and said,

“Ma-master said that ti-time was her da-dark history and wo-wouldn’t tell me…”

…It certainly was a dark history.

Having turned a whole city’s people into animals and then being forcibly reformed by the Martial God.

“Hmm…”

At Park Ga-ram’s words, Kang Cheol-su scratched the scar on his forehead again and checked his smartwatch.

Then, picking up the attendance book and file he had placed on the podium, he said.

“Since it’s really time to move to the practice field now, I’ll tell you briefly.”

“Ye-yes…”

“The reason why Circe-nim wasn’t killed despite committing terrorism by transforming an entire city’s population into animals is.”

“The re-reason is?”

Park Ga-ram swallowed nervously.

Looking at Park Ga-ram like this, Kang Cheol-su continued.

“Because the Martial God personally persuaded her.”

“…Eh?”

“I don’t know the details either. Why the Martial God persuaded Circe-nim instead of killing her.”

Yeah, why indeed.

Why did Baek Yu-hwa reform Circe instead of killing her?

Even going so far as to use the absolute contract scroll ‘Geass’.

‘I should ask her when I meet her later.’

While Yu-jin was thinking this, Kang Cheol-su announced that was the end of the answer to the question and called for everyone to move to the practice field.

At this, although Park Ga-ram’s face didn’t show complete understanding, she nodded with a face that showed her curiosity had been somewhat satisfied and joined the group heading to the practice field following Kang Cheol-su’s lead.

Seeing this, Yu-jin also left the classroom and headed to the practice field.

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“As you can see now, the theme of the villain response training is urban warfare.”

As Kang Cheol-su said, the practice field was a city in shambles, with buildings destroyed and the ground cratered, as if a real terrorist attack had occurred.

At this realistic setting, Yu-jin’s classmates let out exclamations of wonder, but that was only for a moment.

“Ah… right. The top student is the villain.”

“…Can we really defeat our top student?”

“It seems impossible…”

Perhaps remembering that Yu-jin was playing the villain role.

Except for the main characters and some supporting characters, everyone’s shoulders slumped and they showed a lack of motivation.

Seeing them like this, Yu-jin smiled and opened his inventory.

‘If they lack motivation, I should make them overflow with it.’

He took out Spirit Energy Pills and Physical Enhancement Pills from his inventory.

Then showing them to his classmates, he said.

“I’ll give these elixirs to those who catch me or contribute to catching me.”

“”……””

His classmates looked at Yu-jin with blank faces.

Then one who had come to their senses pointed at the elixirs with a trembling hand and asked as if to confirm it was true.

“Will you really give us those elixirs if we catch you?”

“Yeah, I’ll really give them to you.”

“But you’re only holding two elixirs?”

“I have plenty, so don’t worry about that.”

“……”

The classmate closed their mouth.

Then after making eye contact with the surrounding classmates one by one, they nodded. And then, unlike before, they looked at Yu-jin with eyes full of motivation and said.

“Make sure you keep that promise.”

“On my honor as the top student.”

Only after Yu-jin said he was staking his honor did the doubt disappear from his classmates’ eyes and trust appear.

Seeing them like this, Yu-jin thought this might be going too far, but well, what could he do?

To improve his classmates’ response abilities, he had no choice but to do this.

Instead.

‘I’ll show you the real taste of a villain.’

And as a bonus, the taste of urban warfare too.

“I’ll now tell you about the practice objectives. Everyone listen carefully.”

Once Yu-jin and his classmates were ready to practice, Kang Cheol-su began to explain the content of the practice.

To summarize that content briefly.

[Hero Team]

– Number of people: 99

– Victory conditions: Rescue hostages (3 people) and capture the villain (Lee Yu-jin)

– Failure conditions: Total annihilation or 1 hour elapsed

[Villain Team]

– Number of people: 1

– Victory conditions: Total annihilation of the hero team or 1 hour elapsed

– Failure conditions: Hostages rescued (3 people) and capture

[Practice Rules]

– All weapons used must be ‘training’ weapons

– Fatal wounds that could lead to death are not allowed (knocking unconscious is permitted)

– Items cannot be used

That was roughly it.

But wasn’t it a bit too much for the villain role to be just Yu-jin alone?

‘Well… it probably doesn’t matter.’

It might actually be more convenient to be alone.

If there was a team, it could get complicated with having to give orders and such.

Thinking this, Yu-jin approached Kang Cheol-su and asked if he could use his subspace (inventory).

Kang Cheol-su nodded and said,

“Since you’re the only villain, we should allow that much advantage.”

Kang Cheol-su said this and operated his smartwatch.

Then to one of the three practice rules, ‘Items cannot be used’.

‘As Lee Yu-jin is alone, he is allowed to use items’ was added.

Yu-jin felt the difficulty level drop significantly with this added practice objective.

For example, it changed from ‘Easy’ difficulty to ‘Very Easy’ difficulty.

‘Hmm, that’s not just a small advantage.’

Well, Kang Cheol-su didn’t know about Yu-jin’s inventory or Infinite Items.

Yu-jin gladly accepted the advantage with a happy heart.

‘Ah, right. I should ask about that too.’

Suddenly remembering something, Yu-jin asked Kang Cheol-su about using ‘special bullets’.

“Special bullets? You mean live ammunition?”

“Yes, that’s right, but I also have some made with rubber bullets besides live ammunition. Can I use those?”

“Sure, rubber bullets should be fine. Go ahead and use them.”

“Thank you.”

Having received permission to use rubber (special) bullets as well.

‘They’re all dead.’

Yu-jin smiled wickedly like a villain.

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There were 10 people who had gathered to capture Yu-jin.

Until then, they had believed that with this many people, they could capture him no matter how much of a villain he was.

But before long, they realized it had been a miscalculation.

“Hey, where did one person go?”

“…Huh? Where did they really go?”

“What’s going on, they were just behind us a moment ago?”

There had clearly been 10 people just a moment ago, but suddenly, the person at the very back had disappeared and only 9 remained.

Student A, who had gathered the students, was momentarily gripped by fear but pretended to be calm and said to the others.

“…They must have taken a different path.”

He knew it was a strange thing to say.

After agreeing to move together, they took a different path?

It didn’t make sense.

But even though they felt it was strange, the others believed Student A’s words.

Student A quietly exhaled a trembling breath and started moving his stopped feet again.

After moving like that for 1 minute, another commotion arose.

“…Hey, guys. Another person has disappeared?”

The reason for the commotion was the same as before.

Another classmate had disappeared, and again, it was the person at the very back.

“This isn’t just them taking a different path.”

“…You’re right, this is an ambush.”

“The villain is nearby!”

Realizing that the villain was in their vicinity, the students raised their weapons and started to be on guard.

Student A also raised his weapon like the others on guard and spread out his talent ‘Spatial Sensing’.

But,

“He’s not here…?”

The villain wasn’t nearby.

So he expanded the range of his spatial sensing even further.

10m.

50m.

100m.

And the maximum 300m.

But still, the villain wasn’t detected.

Student A started to feel fear creeping up.

He was about to tell the others about this fact.

Just then.

Thud.

One person who had been on guard in all directions suddenly collapsed.

“Kyaaah!”

“Wh-what’s going on!”

Student A hurriedly checked on their fallen classmate.

“…They’re unconscious.”

They were unconscious with their forehead swollen and red in the center.

Student A realized.

That the villain was ‘sniping’ from a place beyond his detection range.

“Guys, he’s sniping!”

The moment he shouted this.

Ratatatatata─!

Budududududu─!

Gunshots rang out from somewhere, and simultaneously, the bodies of the students fell to the ground.

“Huh, huh?”

Student A looked at the fallen students with trembling eyes.

All of them alike were unconscious with their foreheads swollen red and eyes rolled back.

Clang.

Student A dropped his weapon.

He had lost his fighting spirit.

Just then.

His spatial sensing detected something.

Beep.

300m. It was definitely the villain.

200m. And the villain was.

100m. 50m. 30m. 10m.

Approaching at an extremely fast speed.

Student A turned his gaze towards where his spatial sensing was detecting, his body trembling with rapidly rising fear.

And there.

Inhale… exhale. Inhale… exhale.

A villain wearing a black coat and a crow mask like those used by plague doctors in the past was standing there, making the characteristic sound of the mask.

“P-please spare me.”

Student A begged for his life in a voice filled with terror.

But the villain, seemingly having no intention of showing mercy, slowly raised his pistol.

And then.

Bang─!

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Thud.

The classmate hit in the head with a rubber bullet collapsed.

Yu-jin frowned as he looked at his classmates sprawled on the ground.

Clicking his tongue with a “Tsk”, Yu-jin kicked off the ground and left the area.

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[oh shit this is fucking awesome check out the illustrations of how he looks with the mask and shit on our discord its dope]